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Wednesday, 3 June 2015

Let's Talk Fitness

Red faced after the Edinburgh 10K - beneath Arthur's Seat

I have been MIA from the blog in the past week, things have been pretty hectic (terrible excuse I know...) but seriously, the days just seem to rush by in a flash and before we know it it's June. What! This year has flown by, and it's kinda crazy. Anyhoo, today I wanted to chat about fitness.

We are bombarded with images on Instagram of fit girls, inspirational recipes, Victoria's Secret models, and so on. It's all a little intimidating. I'm definitely of the opinion that as long as you exercise and eat everything in moderation then all is good. I don't believe there is a 'perfect size' or a 'beach body', and I think the pressure placed on women to have the 'perfect beach body' (what does that even look like?!) is ridiculous. However, I have always liked to keep fit, and I go through phases of what I enjoy doing to keep my fitness levels high, so I don't necessarily have a structured routine that I stick to - I just 'do me' (as the Kardashians would say) and what works for me at any given time.

I like to set myself goals as I find this to be extremely motivating. Let's be clear - I don't exercise to lose loads of weight - I want to be toned, fit and most importantly happy. Exercise makes me feel good about myself mentally and whenever I find myself in a 'no exercise' period I notice my mood is generally lower and I have less energy.

So two months ago I set myself the goal of running the Edinburgh 10K on 30th may. I've always loved running, but I must admit that I'm a bit of a seasonal runner cause I'm kinda afraid of the dark. I'd love to run the London marathon one day, but it would mean quite a lot of training in the dark before or after work, so I really need to overcome that obstacle! Anyway, I set myself the challenge and decided to train three-four times per week, always first thing in the morning - I am definitely a morning person. In fact, as I type up this blog post, it's 6.55am.

It was hard at first getting back into running but I built up my stamina quickly and gradually increased my distances. I created a great Spotify workout playlist and I was good to go! Having that race goal in mind kept me so focused and I looked forward to my runs, especially when it was sunny!

As a result of committed training, the race went really well and I loved it - the training paid off! If you're thinking of entering a 10K I would highly recommend the Edinburgh one for next year - the views are incredible and there is a great supportive atmosphere. It's not too hilly either.

Now that's complete, I want to continue to run a couple of mornings a week, but I've moved onto my next challenge (told you I like a goal!). I've always wanted to properly try yoga, but classes are pricey. So I've started 30 days of yoga with Adriene - you can sign up via her website and each day she sends you a link to that day's workout (via YouTube video) and some inspirational chat. Day 1 was yesterday and I really enjoyed it. Excited to see what's to come over the next 29 days as I continue my fitness journey! I will be sure to report back on my progress at the end of the challenge.

What are your favourite ways to workout? I'd love to hear your tips for staying motivated!